EXECUTIVE UPDATE

Simon Gomme

President, NGIV

Craig Taberner

CEO, NGIV

Welcome to October Groundswell.

Spring has arrived, traditionally our industry’s busiest time of year. We appreciate that for many of our members, particularly our retailers, the prolonged trading restrictions will be having a significant impact on your business, and indeed your, and your teams, wellbeing.

We want to reassure you that NGIV are continuing to advocate for the early reopening of retail garden centres across Victoria. We have ongoing dialogue with key staff within the office for the Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Small Business and submitted a detailed report that highlighted the low-risk environment, economic impact, and support for Victorians mental health and wellbeing, which our retail garden centres provide.

NGIV have also engaged with the Bunnings Group to consider a collaborative approach towards advocacy for retail garden centres, Agriculture Victoria to ensure they are kept aware of the situation, our lobbyist to inform our strategy for advocacy on the matter and the Small Business Recovery Committee with Minister for Small Business the Hon Jaala Pulford MLC.

We will continue to provide a voice for our retail members and on behalf of the NGIV Board, team and members, we all hope you're back to doing what you do best soon.

The NGIV has been selected to participate in the Small Business Wellbeing Program as an industry impacted by COVID-19. The Program will provide direct specialist wellbeing and mental health support to our members through the engagement of a mental health specialist.

This service, available to all NGIV Full Members, their staff and families. Whilst there’s no expectation to use the service, we feel it is a great additional member benefit in these challenging times. All we ask is that you make your team and colleagues aware of the offering.

Given the difficulty of this moment, we’d like to once again thank our Industry Partners for their ongoing support. Our partners lead the way in delivering excellence; executing plans and delivering projects that permeate and benefit the entire industry. As an industry we are collectively indebted to them and the work they do; that’s why we would ask you to seek out opportunities to show them your support.

We’re delighted that Ball Australia and Bio Gro have upgraded to Platinum Partners. A big thank you to Transplant Systems, Sidekicker and SureGro TreeMax, for upgrading to Silver Partners. And a big welcome to JD Propagation and DNA Training Solutions, who became Bronze Partners. Visit page 28 to find out more.

We’d like to encourage any member businesses that are looking to recruit and upskill trainees or apprentices to contact our preferred Apprentice Network Provider (ANP), MEGT. They will guide you through the process of selecting the appropriate training course and claiming government incentives, including the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) wage subsidy, which provides eligible employers with a wage subsidy of up to 50% of the gross wages of an apprentice or trainee for up to 12 months – up to $28,000.

The wage subsidy represents a fantastic opportunity for NGIV Members to upskill their workforce with a significant saving. Any business that engages an Australian Apprentice between 5 October 2020 and 31 March 2022 may be eligible for a subsidy up to $7,000 per quarter and there’s no cap on the number of eligible trainees/apprentices. A number of our

members have already capitalised on the partnership and benefitted enormously.

The NGIV were successful in our application for funding through Agriculture Victoria’s Seasonal Workforce Industry Support Program (SWISP). Set up to fund peak industry bodies and organisations to strengthen and boost Victoria’s seasonalhorticulture workforce.

You can read more about the Program on page 21, but ultimately, it’s successful delivery will benefit our members through establishment of a framework and process that helps industry connect with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities today and into the future.

It’s an incredibly frustrating time to be delivering events and we thank you for your patience. Due to the continuing uncertainty caused by the ongoing pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on events and venue capacity, we have decided to reschedule our Annual Dinner to 2022. This was a difficult decision to make as our Annual Dinner is a highlight in our events calendar, and a night we all look forward to. However, the safety of our members, guests and staff is our priority. We hope you can join us on the new date, we’ll make sure it’s worth the wait.

The Australian Horticultural Trials Week is just around the corner. It’s a major event in Australia’s horticultural calendar, an opportunity to discover exciting new lines, visit some of Australia’s finest propagators and growers and enjoy networking with industry colleagues. Find out what’s in store this year on pages 10-12.

The 117th Annual General Meeting of Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV) will be held online on Thursday 21st October 2021. We hope you can join us as we run through the year that’s been and look forward.

We’d like to acknowledge the passing of one of Australia’s finest nurserymen and second-generation owner of Fleming’s Nurseries, Eric ‘Don’ Fleming. On behalf of the Nursey and Garden Industry of Victoria Board, staff and members, our condolences are expressed to Dawn, children Dani, Graham and Wes, and the extended Fleming’s family. His Vale can be found on page 26.

Finally, we’d like to remind you all that we are a unique and united industry, proud and supportive of each other. Look for opportunities to help one another and if anyone is doing it tough, lean on your colleagues, your industry peers, and the team at NGIV for support. Together we are stronger and together we will get through this. And never underestimate the positive impact that the plantlife you grow and sell is having on your fellow Victorians.

Simon Gomme

President, NGIV Powerplants Australia

Craig Taberner

CEO, NGIV